For Want of a Stone Mask
by JeckTheParadox
Summary: Dio, barely escaping Windknights castle that fateful night found himself still holding onto the Stone Mask that started it all. Much later, when he finds himself once more at the mercy of Jonathan Joestar, he decides to take a risk. The first Jojo becomes a Vampire the likes of which the world hasn't seen.
1. Chapter 1

"Jojo..." Dio whispered. "You're going to doom us both?!" The light was already fading from his eyes. "No!" Dio roared. "You cannot do this to me!" The shrapnel Jojo had pierced his neck with cut off a lot of his tendrils, and Jojo's own grip, only getting tighter, somehow, as he died, stopped even more from coming out.

But just one, just one, that stretched, reaching for the cushion his head had been sitting upon. With just that one tendril he didn't have the strength to free himself from Jojo's grip. He didn't have the strength to fight back, or behead Jojo, or pull his head to the relative safety of his coffin.

But the mask was light enough.

And he knew, from experience, what putting on that mask would do to him. At this point, it was a gamble. All of it, a wild gamble. But there were flames everywhere, with only the ocean below and, soon enough, sunlight above. Even if there was only the short-term goal of making Jonathan's possibly-dead body jerk enough to release his arms, it would be enough. The vein forced the mask over Jojo's face, and there was more than enough blood already there to activate the stone claws.

Sure enough, Jojo's arms shot wide open as Jojo's body underwent transformations. With the Vampiric power of mutation and resurrection, it was possible that it would work even if Jojo already was dead. Taking the chance immediately, Dio grasped the wreckage around him with his veins, in a mad dash to reach his coffin. Slamming into the side, he quickly pulled himself up and reached for the lid. Pushing upward with the strength of multiple veins, he stared in horror as the coffin's lid didn't move in the slightest. "No! NO!" Whipping veins against the wood over and over in his rage, he was only stopped when he felt two familiar hands grip the sides of his head.

"Dio."

The vampire head couldn't turn around and look behind him, but at the same time, he didn't want to. He had never, never heard that tone of voice come from Jojo. Even when Jojo was trying his hardest to kill Dio, he had never spoken with such hatred. "J-Jojo?" He managed, overcoming his fear. "How do you like it? My power? Eternal youth, strength like you've never seen, absolute control over your own flesh, is it not wonderful-"

"Sunlight Yellow-"

"Jojo! NO! Don't do it!" He roared. "Please, just think a moment, are you really going to kill me, with our bizarre friendship?" he felt the sides of his head burn with the presence of Ripple power just inches away. "What about Erina? Jojo, your wife, who was willing to die for you! You can be with her again, forever!"

"...Dio." Jojo said quietly. "Why did you do this to me?"

"It was the only way to make you let go." Dio answered truthfully. "Now, open the coffin! The ship will blow any second now!"

"No." Jojo answered coldly. Putting Dio's head under his arm casually, like a bundle, he picked up the coffin with his other hand. "Erina must survive. Truthfully... I do not know if I could resist her blood at this moment." He said, his disgust with himself apparent in his voice. "She needs to be safe, above all."

"Jojo, you aren't going to just kill me, right?"

"Dio, I thought you had more respect than this?"

"I tried to make you something greater than yourself!" Dio exclaimed. "You must agree, you feel incredible, do you not?"

"I do. This body is incredible." Jojo admitted. "I was dying mere moments ago, yet now-" he kicked open the wall of the ship, and did so again for the next wall, making a straight line for the hull. "-I'm tearing through wood and steel as if it were nothing." Reaching the sea, and sensing the impact was coming, he pushed the coffin out into the water, then jumped in himself after it. The next moment, the ship exploded in a roar of sound and fire, knocking vampires and coffin across the water.

"Good, Jojo. Now take us into the coffin, as I'm sure you know, we won't survive in the sunlight."

"..."

"Jojo!"

"I don't think I could resist biting Erina and that child."

"Then we'll turn the woman and drink the child!" Dio growled. "Perfect, is it not?"

"No." He growled. "There is going to be no more killing today, Dio." He narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"Then what?! Are you just going to have us burn then?!"

"I'm thinking about it." He said honestly. "I was ready to die before."

"But this is your second chance!" Dio urged. "You owe it to Erina, don't you?! Wait until she's away from the baby then, and then turn her! You could live together, forever! Are you going to give that up, just to kill me?"

Jojo frowned. "I can kill you without killing myself." He said. "I still know how to use Ripple."

"Jojo, you wouldn't, not when I'm defenseless-"

"You're never defenseless Dio! Even reduced to a head, you managed to murder all of these people!"

"...I... Jojo, please! We're brothers! I saved you!"

"Just to save yourself." Jojo growled. "But..." he turned toward the coffin. "...These urges, this body..." he narrowed his eyes at Dio. "You're going to help me, Dio."

"Of course Jojo!" Dio agreed. "You may not believe me, but I am satisfied with this! You're the only one I respect, more than anyone else in the world, you're the one who should stand by my side as the Lord of humanity!"

"You are going to help me control these urges for blood. This... violence, and hunger. When I can think clearly, then I'll decide what to do with you."

"Jojo..."

"Dio, despite everything, bizarrely enough, even after this... transformation, I hold some fondness for you." Jojo admitted. "I'm not going to do something I may regret when I am myself again."

"Sentimental." Dio said, sneering. "But wise."

Jojo began pushing the coffin forward, kicking hard with his legs to propel himself and the coffin forward. "How long will we have to go until drinking blood?"

"...Blood is a restorative." Dio explained. "We are immortal, Jojo, but we cannot reach our true strength unless we are given blood. We will waste away without it, but will not die."

"Then we are not going to be drinking blood."

"Oh come on, Jojo. Who just said they wouldn't do things rashly? Let us get to shore, and then we shall decide on life style changes. We are Vampires, Jojo. We need blood. And not every human needs all of theirs. You have all of your precious friends, do you not? I'm sure, if you asked nicely, each would give you a little sip, when you needed it. And being the protector of justice and trouble magnet you are, I'm sure you'll find unsavory individuals like myself?"

"...for now. We're going to get this coffin to safety."

"What about the Sun?"

"We'll hide underneath." Jojo said gruffly.

"That won't be perfect, we'll still be burned."

"It will have to do, Dio."


	2. Chapter 2

"J-Jonathan, is that you?" She asked, slowly opening the coffin door. Erina looked around, noting the sunlight of the dawn with a sigh of relief. She didn't fully understand what happened during the night, but Jonathan had said that those monsters were vampires.

The dawn held some hope for them, then. She had been sure she heard voices outside the coffin, but looking around, there was nothing, not even the wreckage of the ship. In her arms, the baby was crying. Sighing, she turned towards the sky and wondered where she was, or how long it would take to be rescued or reach shore. The waves picked them up and threw them back down often, but the box remained going forward. Watching the stream behind it, she noticed occasionally a foot shooting back underwater.

There was someone underneath the coffin. Remembering the monsters from the ship, she quickly closed the coffin again, holding the sleeping baby tight to her. The day passed in fearful quiet. However, it was only a few hours until a ship passed by. Risking it, Erina opened the coffin door and cried out to the ship, waving her arms and shouting at the top of her lungs.

The sailors took both her and the baby aboard, and promised to take them both to the Canary Islands.

The rest of the day was one of being hurried from place to place and constantly being fretted over by the sailors. They shared their food and gave her and the baby their own room. As night fell, she prepared best she could for bed, there weren't the normal niceties from home, nor the luxuries of the destroyed honeymoon ship, but all the same, she was thankful. She put the baby to bed in the makeshift cot the sailors provided, and sat down by her own bed. All at once, it seemed the events of the past two days caught up with her. Nearly flopping down on the bed, she muttered "Oh Jojo. Why did this all have to happen?"

"I'm sorry, Erina." Her heart nearly stopped, and she stopped herself from screaming only by accepting the rush of emotions that came from seeing him.

"Oh! Jojo!" She nearly dashed up to him, but he put out his arm to stop her. "...Jojo? What's wrong... are you... how did you escape-"

"I'm sorry, Erina." He repeated. "But please, come no closer, for now."

"Jojo, what happened to you? Did you swim here, how did you survive everything that happened?"

"...Dio turned me into a vampire." He said slowly. "And I am not in full control of myself, if you came closer, and I could smell your blood... I might do something I regret."

"Oh Jojo!" She cried. "But... at least you're still you, right? You're not like the other monsters, killing each other madly. You're still alive? "

"If you can call this life." Jojo said sadly. "I cannot ever see the sun again."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"I'm not sure yet." Jojo said. He smiled sadly at her. "This new Vampire body Dio gave me... it's filled with horrible emotions and terrible hungers... I don't know when, but I can overcome them. And then I'll return to you."

"I'm just glad you're alive." Erina said happily. "How.. long do you think it will take?"

"I'm not sure, truthfully." He smiled, then. "But I won't make you wait too long, my love. In fact." He pointed towards her. "I'll return before that baby's even a year old. Don't worry Erina. I will come back to you."

"I believe you Jojo. Don't make me wait too long!"

"Done already?" Dio asked, sneering. "No cheerful embrace? No last passionate night of love?"

"Silence Dio." Jojo said. Picking up the head carefully in his arms. "I've set a time limit for myself. We have a year to learn all that being a Vampire encompasses." He said, determined.

"I've always liked that about you, Jojo." Dio said, smiling. "First things first, I need a body."

"I'm not killing someone for it."

"Jojo, what can you expect me to teach you if I cannot even move?"

"You're a vampire. I've seen you pull yourself back together after being blown apart. Why can't you just grow it back?"

"With what cells? Do you know how much blood that will take?" Dio said, raising an eyebrow. "We'd be killing less people if you just beheaded a single man."

"We'll deal with that problem once we get back to civilization." He silently and swiftly made his way into the storage area of the massive ship, an area completely shrouded in darkness, but also a place where he and Dio could see as easily as if it were well-lit. Setting Dio's head on the crate opposite him, he stared down his brother. "There's a lot you can tell me without having to demonstrate it, can't you?"

"Of course." Dio said smirking. "And, you'll be happy to note, I was never taught by another Vampire, and I am incapable of Ripple. It might be that you could be a more fearsome Vampire than even myself. I learned everything through desperation and experimentation."

"Then let's begin."

"The most key skill, I suppose, is the power that let me evade your Ripple." Dio began. "As a human, you have great control over your own body, Jojo, with your learning the Ripple and mastering your own breathing, I'm sure you have more control than most... but for Vampires, that control is absolute." To demonstrate, Dio shot out several veins, slicing a sliver off of a crate and snapping it. "As a Vampire, you have control over every part of your body. Even things like veins, hair, and skin. Every square milimeter of your body, Jojo, is now a weapon of the most dangerous sort."

Jojo looked down at his hands, and seemed thoughtful. Getting into a boxing stance, he flung a punch forward, and to Dio's admiration, Jojo's entire arm lengthened immensely. It shot forward six feet before retracting back just as fast. "Master Zeppeli showed me a similar technique, utilizing Ripple." he said. "He dislocated his own bones to increase the length of his arm. But having control at this level exceeds what I can do with mere Ripple."

Dio nodded, "Excellent, Joestar." He said grinning. "But this is only the beginning of your awakening. Truthfully, even I didn't use it to my full potential. In the midst of a fight, you use what you know, and what comes instinctually. Our bodies are fluid, able to be taken apart and put back together, shifting, breaking, and reforming. The human shape you hold: two legs, two arms, standing tall, is not your only option in a fight. Any shape you imagine, you can take. Look at how devastating I was with only my veins."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Oh, Jojo, when can I see you again?"

"I'll try to stay as close as I think I can safely be Erina."

The ship's journey to the islands was completed soon enough, and Erina had taken the baby with her to stay at a hotel in the interim. "I'll watch out for you in the nights, then."

"Have... have you contacted Speedwagon or any of the others?"

"No, I haven't. What should I say? In fact, I don't even know much about the situation myself!"

"I suppose not. I apologize Erina, but I had thought everything relating to dark creatures was in my past. I didn't want to bring it up when we had just reunited, and afterwards, I didn't want to spoil the joy of our wedding and our honeymoon... It all started when my father acquired an Aztec artifact, a Stone Mask. Dio, whom you know was always a scoundrel, found that the mask produced spikes that enter the wearer's skull... he thought to use it as a murder weapon, but he found the mask doesn't simply kill its wearer. It transforms them into a monster, like me, like him. A vampire. When Dio murdered my father... he used the mask on himself, and became a vampire."

"Oh Jojo..."

"Afterwards he attacked a town called Windknights. He killed many people there, and I, along with my good friend Speedwagon, and a brave man named Zeppeli, who used a power called Ripple to fight vampires. Zeppeli had his own comrades as well join our battle, but in the fight against Dio, he, and another of his comrades died. I thought I killed Dio that night, but even reduced to a head, he lived. I thought him dead for all the time since, and only the night the ship exploded did he reveal himself to me again."

"I had no idea... I remember when you first met Zeppeli. There are creatures like vampires then, just... around?"

"I'm not sure. The only one I knew of is Dio." Jojo answered.

"...But... what do I tell them? Everyone? The sailors can only report having picked up me and the child. What will I tell the lawyers? Or the reporters? How can we explain your survival?"

"...I believe we could stage something." Jojo said, thinking. "We could say I survived the explosion and swam here. I can fake injuries fairly easily, at this point."

"All this distance? No one would believe it."

"It's easier to believe than that I survived because my supposedly dead brother turned me into a vampire." He looked suddenly nervous. "Oh dear. How am I going to explain everything to Straizo and the others? Speedwagon will trust me, I know, as you trusted me... but the others might only see me as a last vampire to destroy."

"And... what about him?" Erina asked, her voice becoming quieter as she gestured to the head on a pillow in the corner of the room.

"I can still hear you." Dio said, bored.

"He will be... harder to explain."

"I think we should... stage your survival, tomorrow night." Erina said, still somewhat tripped up from the meaning of the words. "And then we should contact the Manor's workers and mister Speedwagon immediately."

"I shall... though we should explain my continued absence even after surviving as a time for me to recover, and possibly a nervousness about sea travel. Any questioning noses will believe that, at least." Erina took a step closer, and Jonathan tensed. "Erina..."

"Before I go, just one kiss?" She asked quietly. "I know you can. Your heart is stronger than any other man in the world, Jojo. I'm sure. I trust you."

"But I don't trust me." Jojo said sadly. In an instant, he was on the other side of the room, scooping up Dio. "I love you Erina, more than you even imagine. I cannot risk harming you. But I promise you, when I do learn to control myself, and I trust myself, I will pay you back for this bizarre and interrupted honeymoon a thousand times."

"I'll hold you to that." Erina said, smiling.

"If I still had a stomach, I would barf." Dio muttered. "Why don't we just turn her right now? No more delicious human scent."

"I'm not making my wife into a bloody vampire Dio!"

"You will eventually, unless you plan on watching her shrivel into dust while you still remain a handsome permanent twenty."

"...I'm not talking about this right now." Jojo said decisively. "I'll arrange my 'washing up on shore' for tomorrow evening." He informed Erina. "I love you, my dear. Good night." Carrying his blonde brother's head, he disappeared out the window.


	3. Chapter 3

"Honestly, that was some of the shittiest acting I've ever laid my eyes on."

"Shut it Dio."

"Remember when father made us watch those horrible theater shows? I wanted to strangle a few of those actors. But you outperformed all of them. Or rather, you were somehow worse than all of them."

"Silence Dio!" Jojo ordered. "Acting was never a skill I practiced." he said, somewhat embarrassed.

"Well you should, considering that you're determined to live a lie." The head said, amused.

"...Perhaps." Jojo admitted.

"Leave him alone Dio." Erina chastised. "Jojo, must we have him in the house?"

"I can't take my eyes off of him, or he'll escape and go on a rampage."

"...I don't want to be the one to suggest it, but why can't you... kill him? He's a monster, it's not like he doesn't deserve it."

"I'm aware of that. And believe me, Erina, if I have anything to say about it, Dio will never again kill an innocent man... but he's going to help me to control my vampire impulses, and help me to overcome all these new instincts. Once he's taught me everything I need to know, then i'll decide what to do with him... if possible, I'd like for him to be redeemed, somehow."

"I'm irredeemable, Jojo." Dio said smugly. "I still regret none of my actions... except perhaps murdering George Joestar."

Jojo's eyes widened. "Dio..."

"In retrospect, he was nothing but kind to me. He gave me so many opportunities, accepted me like a son. I rejected my humanity before I made my transformation, but if I hadn't, I think I wouldn't have killed him." Dio grinned evilly. "Perhaps your golden heart is rubbing off on me, I already feel more human already."

"Don't mock me Dio. And don't you dare mock my father."

"Our father, Jojo." Dio growled back. "And I can damn well say anything I want."

Erina frowned. "Maybe we can put him in a box?"

"I'll kill you, woman!" Dio growled.

"DIO."

The head froze all movements, slowly turning his eyes to Jojo, who seemed to be radiating an aura of hatred. "Jojo, I didn't mean it!" He said, panicking slightly. "I wouldn't kill Erina if I didn't have to, not when she means so much to you! I even spared her on the ship."

"Don't even joke about that." Jojo growled.

"Jojo, it's alright." Erina said slowly, reaching out to him, but she froze when Jojo flinched away from her presence. "...I'm sorry. I keep forgetting. You don't look much different."

"...Don't worry, Erina. I'll overcome this, and we'll be able to embrace again... Perhaps we should get started then."

"So... it's time then? Have you decided on a body?"

"As a vampire, I can revive and heal corpses to the point where the bodies are in their prime, correct?"

"Oh god, Jojo, you're going to stick me onto a corpse?!"

"What's the difference?"

"I am the illustrious Dio Brando! I demand a body worthy of my stature! I will not live my days using a body I cannot respect! Why do you think I spent all that time looking for you as only a head?!"

"Too bad, you'll be the illustrious Dio Frankenstein."

"Jojo, I am putting my foot down, AND NOT A WORD ERINA, I REALIZED IT JUST AS I SAID IT, I will not tolerate this. If you are going to keep me alive, you are going to treat me with respect!"

"Fine Dio. You can choose the corpse."

"That's not what I meant!"

"I'm going to leave if you're going to keep talking about zombies." Erina said, shuddering. "I think I'll do something productive myself. I'm trying to figure out the name of the baby we saved."

"We have the passenger list, right?" Jojo asked. "Isn't there a not about children?"

"There were..." she looked to Dio, her eyes becoming hateful. "...multiple children on the ship. Three girls, actually, with no mention of age besides not being listed as an adult."

The head sneered at her in response. "Thrilling. Now then, Jojo, the night is young, but growing closer to death by the moment. We are going to find me a body tonight. Remember, you said you wanted a time limit."

"Fine, let's go." Waving a goodbye to Erina, he grabbed Dio's head and shot off into the night.

"I still refuse to be given to a corpse." Dio demanded. "I demand a body I can admire."

"Dio, is there even anyone among the living who you admire?"

"..."

"I thought so. We won't be killing anyone, tonight."

"Merely desecration of the dead."

"Like you have any right to speak about desecration." Jojo said as he leaped easily from roof to roof.

The grave marker was labeled Anderson Squire, a man who had died on the island more than three decades earlier.

They had spent more than three hours, reviving one corpse after another, while Dio evaluated and turned them down. Perhaps becoming a vampire had eroded some of his impulses to be disgusted, or perhaps those impulses died after fighting so many zombies. But Jojo wasn't bothered with the work.

The zombies he revived with just a few drops of his blood became whole within seconds, and immediately began recounting their life stories, regrets, around the point they got around to pledging eternal loyalty to the one who revived them, Dio had declared them unworthy, and Jojo used a small amount of Ripple to erase the zombies once more.

But this one was a large man, heavily muscled. A physique that reminded Jojo of himself, and he noticed a small quirk of Dio's eyebrow as he looked at the zombie. "Hmph. This one... is acceptable." He declared, and Jojo watched as the veins shot out, slicing the head off the newly revived zombie, and then pulling Dio's head into place.

"M-Master, why-" Jojo felt a twinge of guilt, but he quickly used his Ripple to purify the zombie head and reduce it to ash.

"Hm... it will take some time to get used to this. It doesn't help that your Vampiric essence is already within the body." Dio said, frowning. The body was standing, but mostly still. Veins bulged and writhed under the skin in a disturbing fashion as Dio integrated his new body. "But it will have to do." Twitching slightly, the body began to move. "I will require blood in order to fully regenerate." Seeing Jojo's hardened look, Dio sighed. "Jojo, please. We're going to have to at one point or another."

"I won't allow you to kill anyone, Dio."

"...Fine." Dio said, smirking. "Then I have another option."

The prisoners sat in their cells, sleeping or staring at the walls. The night was a dark one, and the inside of the prison was even darker. "Now then Jojo, this will be your first test in control." Almost instantly, the entire hallway became alert, as the voice echoed deeply against the walls. The voice was friendly, charming, and powerful. "Drinking blood is... well, pleasurable, in a way. The same way eating is. People each have their own specific tastes. Some more appetizing than others. And, of course, the hungrier you are and the more appetizing the person, the harder it will be to keep in control of yourself."

"But you've mastered self-control, then? What about that army of zombies you assembled, all those people in Windsknight Lot?"

"I assure you, my self-control is exemplery. Jojo, the reason I made so many zombies there is that I meant for it to be my base. Not that I lost control and went berserk on the populace. Now, watch me carefully." The tall blonde man walked over to the nearest cell, and his hand seemed to stretch as he grabbed the closest prisoner, who had jumped back as soon as it happened, and held him against the steel bars. The prisoner didn't have time to think before the fingers jerked into his body. His veins pulsed, tightened, and became visible against his skin. His skin pallor changed, in some areas becoming redder and in others becoming paler. And then, after only a second had passed, the Blonde man let go, his fingers coming out of the man's shoulder silently and cleanly. The prisoner sunk down, slightly dizzy. But the only injury being five small coin-sized soft scars on his shoulder, and feeling very thirsty. "It should be easy, right Jojo?"

"...Alright. I'll try." The other man was somehow even more tall and powerful, his voice as hard, clear, merciless, and honest as polished iron. Jonathan Joestar walked up to another cell, sniffing the air. Turning his blue eyes down to a prisoner, Jojo raised an eyebrow. "Sir, what is it you've done to deserve being in this prison?"

"I... I stole. And killed." The prisoner said, watching the two mystery men nervously. "I' been a mugger for years, til they caught me."

"Do you regret it sir?" Jojo asked. "Did you steal out of necessity?"

"I did! I was just a poor orphan, please spectre, spare me! I'm a sinful man, but I can repent!"

"I know a very noble man who stole and threatened and injured out of necessity." Jojo said solemnly. "But even he is disgusted with murder."

"Mercy, sir!"

"Do not worry sir. If I succeed in what I am aiming, you'll wake up in the morning." taking a breath to steel himself, he gave in, only slightly to the instinct, trying to repeat what Dio had shown him the minute before. His fingers sharpened, and pierced the flesh of the prisoner. Jojo was suddenly flushed with power and new sensations, as he seemed to become familiar with the prisoner's entire body. Every cell in it, every blood vein, was his to control! He wanted some of that warmth and power, and he drew it into him.

More and more! It was not nearly enough- "M-mercy... sir..." the prisoner gasped, and Jojo looked him in the eyes. Overcoming the instinct with his force of will, he pulled his fingers out cleanly, the wounds on the man healing themselves as he pulled out.

"Dio, why didn't you stop me?! I nearly killed this man!"

"Jojo, please. Is this not the point of coming here? To experiment with your limits on people who likely deserve death?"

"..That rush..."

"It's like eating something casually, and suddenly realizing you're starving. Not that you've ever had to worry about starving in your life. Nearly impossible to stop yourself the first time. I know I didn't, I'll never quite forget the first time."

"So it won't happen as strong as that again?"

"It might. But not nearly as intense. But perhaps you'll even have it even worse, knowing the taste but also knowing you must resist.

 _References: Anderson Squire: A combination of the names Chris Squire and Jon Anderson, the founding members of the band "Yes" who wrote the single "Roundabout" used as the ending theme for Parts I and II of the anime._


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm relieved." Speedwagon said out loud, to no one in particular. "After hearing about that explosion..." The tears fell down his face freely. "I'm just so relieved Jojo and Erina are alright after all."

Getting up from where he was sitting he went back outside. In a way, Speedwagon had been adopted into the Joestar family, or at least made one of its heirs. The mansion had burned down some time ago, courtesy of the fight between first fight between Jojo and Dio as a vampire, but it was being rebuilt. And once it had been, Jojo had promised Speedwagon a place there, in the meantime, he lived alongside the workers rebuilding the family manor. It wasn't required of him, but all the same he wanted to feel useful, and so he helped in the construction as well.

As the days passed, he got word that Erina had returned to Britain via a passenger ship, and rushed to the port to meet her.

"Ah, sir Speedwagon, it's been so long!" She said cheerfully, holding a small child.

"Madam." He said, tipping his top hat. "Um, where's Jojo?"

He felt a chill as he saw Erina look away sadly. "He was injured in the explosion, worse than I. In fact, it was because of him that I and the baby escaped uninjured."

"I was going to ask about that." He said, slightly embarrassed.

"She's the only other... survivor of the wreck. Her parents both died in the explosion, so I'm hoping to find out where the rest of her family is." She smiled sadly, and looked back to Speedwagon. "Jonathan wasn't quite ready, physically or mentally to go on a boat ride so quickly."

"I see..."

"I'd like to tell you more details, in private." She said, glancing around the docs. "It has to do with your and Jojo's bizarre adventure. I'm not sure how much I should say about that in public though."

"I got you." Speedwagon said with a nod. "I know a few private corners around here where no one ever keeps an eye out."

"Lead the way, Mister Speedwagon."

They walked a short distance to a secluded corner of the doc between a great number of shipping containers waiting for their ship. "No one is going to overhear us here. So, how much has Jonathan told you?"

"Mostly the basics... but I saw enough myself."

"Oh no."

"Dio, Jojo's horrid brother... his head survived whatever happened in Windknights Lot."

"Oh dear god... Jojo... he beat him, right?"

"Yes, but..." Erina looked down sadly. "...Dio bit a great number of people on board, the entire ship had been reduced to zombies. The only survivors were me, this child, and Jojo. But Jojo had been mortally wounded-" Speedwagon turned pale and made to sit down, the lady supporting him and lowering him to make sure he didn't fall.

"Is he dying, Miss Erina? You can tell me, I need to know."

"No. But, Jojo had been mortally wounded, and to destroy Dio, he set the boiler of the ship to explode. He was going to sacrifice himself, and I was going to go with him, but he saw the baby and told us to get to safety inside, of all things, a coffin. I didn't see what happened next myself, but Jojo grabbed Dio to prevent him from escaping... but Dio escaped anyway, and forced him to let go..." she watched Speedwagon's face nervously, and bit her lip before continuing. "by turning Jojo into a vampire."

Speedwagon turned another shade paler and began to shake. "No! It can't be! Not more of them-"

"...But Jojo has kept his conscience. Mister Speedwagon, he's not a monster. He hasn't killed anyone, he hasn't tried to conquer a town. He won't even let me touch him until he's sure he can control himself. He's a vampire, but he's still our gentleman Jonathan Joestar."

"...is, is that true, Erina?"

"I promise you. He's just as noble as ever... he just seems, strained, fighting against the vampire inside him. But he'll conquer it, and return within a year. He promised me himself."

He seemed to be rejuvenated, he got back up, and laughed nervously. "Just what I'd expect of him! Jojo could never be a monster."

"However... there is one thing that frightens me about the whole situation. Jojo's kept Dio alive."

"WHAT."

"He's having Dio teach him how to control his vampire abilities. For now, Dio's been doing what Jojo tells him, but all the same, you should know."

"..." He looked conflicted, but he sucked in a breath and smiled. "Well, I suppose we'll have to trust Jojo, won't we?"

The two vampires sparred almost faster than the eye could see. The two jumped from building to building, exchanging rapidfire blows and attacks that seemed impossible. As it was a 'friendly' duel, there would be no lasers, ice, or Ripple involved.

"You know Dio, soon enough, you won't be able to blame your new body for all your losses." Jojo said, grinning.

"Just you wait Jonathan, I'll learn plenty of new tricks to make up for it." He said, a cocky smile on his face. "That said..." he gripped the roof below his feet, and with a shove, launched himself through the air at Jojo fast enough to let the air whistle around him. The larger man caught Dio in his arms, and attempted to slam him backwards toward the street, but found Dio had split his arms open and had wrapped his own muscles like ropes around Jojo's chest. Jojo's own momentum sent the two of them falling in the direction he meant to throw Dio, but the blonde vampire simply untied himself from Jojo and used him like a springboard, landing safely on the roof while Jonathan crashed into the pavement. "...And count that the first of a new winning streak."

Dusting himself off, Jojo quickly climbed back up and looked at the horizon. "It will be daylight soon enough. We should get back inside."

"Alright." Dio said, stretching. "I've found a suitable manor a little ways into the country. I'm sure I could charm my way into getting us a room for the night, if you still won't even let us take out a few knobs."

"That'll be fine." Jojo said, smiling. "It's been a few days since I've had a proper bath."

The two took to the streets, and ran for the country, legs pumping much faster than a horse's. "I've missed this, you know." Dio said, grinning. "Truly, it was when we were fighting that I was the happiest."

Jojo glanced at his brother. "It was really only when we were beating the hell out of each other that I felt some kind of connection with you. I suppose you were alright while we were in school, nothing like a well-stocked library to mellow you The rest of the time you were simply horrible to everyone around."

"Putting you in your place, you mean. Imagine the spoiled snob you would have become if I hadn't pushed you so hard every day."

"...Pushed me?" Jojo asked incredulously. "I still haven't forgiven you for Danny."

"Danny?" Dio asked, honestly confused. "Was he one of those useless Ripple users you brought to Windknights?"

"He was my dog." Jojo said, annoyed. "You killed him and had him cremated."

"Oh."

That killed the conversation then and there. The rest of the run went by in silence, and soon the manor appeared, and the two brushed themselves off, trying to look gentlemanly. It wasn't difficult, truly, both had it come naturally, having been trained from childhood. Dio greeted a maid who had come to the door with a charming grin, free of fangs "Hello, my dear miss. I apologize for the inconvenience at this early hour, but my brother and I are tourists here in these beautiful Isles, and I was wondering if you might permit us to stay here for the day? We've been overzealous, and ended up walking all night."

Jojo nodded. "We're dead tired, really. Would you permit us to spend the rest of the night?"

The maid blushed at the sight of them, and smiled nervously before saying "Well, I'll speak with the lady of the house, I'm sure she'll accommodate two British gentlemen such as yourselves."

She ran off and returned soon enough. "Right this way, sirs."

"Brothers?" The lady of the house asked.

"Indeed." Dio answered. "Well, we had different mothers. A tragic accident befell my brother's mother shortly after his birth, my own died from a weak constitution when we were children." He said, shaking his head sadly.

"Oh you poor dears..."

"I'm sorry, we didn't mean to leave our sob stories on your shoulders, Madam." Jojo said, "It's been a long time." He took another bite of his food, and had the brief unpleasant thought that it wasn't as satisfying as blood. "The food is delicious." he said with a smile. "Is the cuisine local to the islands?"

"Indeed." She said proudly. Glancing upwards, she lifted her eyebrows. "Oh, I've almost forgotten!" She said cheerfully. "I meant to watch the sunrise with the two of you, seeing as you're still awake."

Dio and Jojo shared a look. In the brief moment, the two had a fierce and fast nonverbal argument. The lady of the house had gotten up, walking toward one of the large expensive curtains.

Kill! Dio emoted in his eyes.

No! Jojo ordered.

We must

no

sunlight

run, hide, go

When the woman pulled apart the drapes, and let light flood the room, she turned around to look at her guests, only to stare in surprise at the empty table seats.

Down the hall, hidden in a secluded part of the servants quarters, two men sat and stared at Jojo's hand. "Dio, it burns!" Jojo hissed quietly, staring at the slowly crumbling dust of his hand. The two had rushed for the hall, where it was darker, but a beam had managed to get Jojo. "This pain..."

"Now you know what Ripple feels like, Jojo." Dio said savagely, a smug grin on his face. "You'll learn from this, I take it."

Blowing on it, and rubbing away the dust, no, the ash, he stared at the glowing stump of his arm. "Dio, this pain is like nothing I've ever felt!"

"Want to go kill the lady?" Dio asked. Ever the tempter, Dio was constantly trying to corrupt Jojo, just as the other was trying to redeem his brother. "She robbed you of your hand, and you're going to need more than a few sips to regenerate a wound of this magnitude caused by sunlight."

"No." Jojo said sharply. "I'll grow it back slowly, if need be."

"It will hinder your training." Dio said innocently.

"Then we'll go back to the prison." Jojo said, a compromise. "But if it will take a long time to grow back from mere sips, then we'll just have to wait a long time."

"Fine." Dio said, "It's already been a month, and your control has been getting better and better. We might be able to draw a bit of blood from every prisoner in that place in one night, at this rate."

"Let's go as soon as it gets dark. For now, let's find the cellar in this place."

Dio licked his lips. "I'm sure the madam wouldn't mind if we sampled her wine, if only to ease the pain she accidentally caused."

"Elizabeth Jam." Speedwagon read. "Born four months ago."

"Lisa." Erina said kindly, looking down at the baby girl. "Lisa Lisa."

"Does she have any family?" He asked, walking alongside her through the park.

"Not any willing to take care of her. Only a single pair of grandparents, who aren't healthy enough to raise her." She smiled sadly. "They've turned her over to the Joestar family."

"Hm. Well, I'm sure Jojo will get along with her when he comes back."

"I should hope so... my, I didn't think that we would be raising two children so soon after getting married."

"Wait, two?" At Speedwagon's confusion, Erina merely smiled slyly. "You aren't-" the man blushed, and readjusted his hat. "Well! Congratulations are in order! Does Daddy know?"

"Not yet. I'm debating whether or not to surprise him, based on what he said, he'll come back just in time for the birth."

"Well, if it were me, I'd want to know." Speedwagon said. "I mean, he'll love it when he finally comes back to you all the same. But if he found out you were in pain without him knowing, it'd hurt him."

"Alright. I'll tell him in my next letter then."

Speedwagon and Erina walked quietly for a while, until Lisa Lisa began to cry, and they made a small picnic while Erina fed the baby from a bottle. "Has there been any word from Straizo and the others?" Erina asked. "They sent us off on our Honeymoon, but I haven't seen them since."

"...I've been putting off on calling them, especially since Jojo is nervous about them. Their entire order exists to fight vampires, right? Their entire form of martial arts. I mean, even if Jojo's himself, and he can prove that, who's to say they won't kill him just in case?"

Erina sniffed in annoyance. "I refuse to believe anyone could kill Jojo now. But you're right. Either way, it can't hurt to wait until Jojo's here to speak for himself."

"Master Tonpetty." Straizo said, bowing down before the ancient Tibetan monk.

"Yes Straizo?"

"We have concluded from our search that the Stone Mask possessed by Dio is in fact not anywhere in Windknights Lot." He said, and, with some hatred in his voice, "I have inclination to believe, because of this evidence, that Dio Brando may in fact still be alive."

Tonpetty frowned. "This is serious..." He closed his eyes. "Have you kept in touch with the Joestars?"

"No, Master." Straizo said, raising an eyebrow. "I have heard of their brush with death though. I thought to go and investigate, but both sent me letters saying they were fine. Jonathan is resting in the Canary Islands, and Erina returned to Britain. Dio was not mentioned."

"...Even if he was not mentioned, if you believe the vampire to yet walk the earth, then it is very likely there was foul play, it may be that he had attempted to assassinate the Joestars."

"I shall contact them immediately."

"Good. But before you go, did you deliver the unfortunate news to Mario Zeppeli?"

"I did... he asked to join our order. He wishes to continue his father's quest."

Tonpetty closed his eyes, feeling for the future. "...He will aid us greatly. Straizo, you are the greatest Ripple Master of anyone I have trained. Stronger than Zeppeli, stronger than Dire, and, now past my prime, stronger than me. You are the future of the Ripple Tribe."

"M-Master?"

"I am going to die soon, Straizo. Ripple can preserve your body, but you will age all the same. Ripple improves your life, but does not lengthen it as such. From what I sense, the future lies in the heart of Italy. Go there, and begin your own school."

"Then... who will watch over the temple here?"

"I will spend my remaining year of life, in fact, searching for its proper guardian." Tonpetty rose from the floor, and offered his hand to Straizo. Grabbing the hand, Tonpetty pulled Straizo up and into his embrace. "Go on, my student, and fulfil your potential."

"I... I shall, master."

"If Dio lives, or rather, if the Stone Mask remains in this world, your work will be hard. I trust you will be able to handle it."

"Then I shall make for Britain, and then Italy."

 _References: Lisa Lisa's full name comes from two places: Elizabeth is stated as her real name in the manga, and the last name of "Jam" comes from the band "Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam"._


	5. Chapter 5

Straizo walked along the path to the Joestar property with interest, seeing the construction company working hard to repair the building to its former glory. Nearby was a humble home that served as R.E.O. Speedwagon's and Erina Joestar's temporary abode. Under his cloak, around his neck was the symbol his newly-appointed mastery. A brilliant red stone capable of conducting Ripple and amplifying it thousands of times. He wouldn't insult the sacred stone's power, but if the vampire did survive, and did attack him, the Super Aja would spell the end of Dio Brando.

Smiling at the thought, he knocked on the door. It was opened quick enough by Speedwagon, who greeted him warmly, letting him in. "Miss Erina, Mister Speedwagon." Straizo said.

"What brings you all the way to Britain?"

"...I'm afraid that we've still not found the Stone Mask." A look of dread, nervousness, and concern flashed in both of their faces. "And, unfortunately, there's reason to believe that if the mask escaped, Dio Brando lives on with it."

"Oh... no..." Erina said awkwardly. "That's terrible. I'll write to my husband immediately."

"He's recovering in the Canary Islands, correct? I was going to see him myself. but you'll be helpful as well. I have reason to believe, that if Dio's alive, he might have been the one to cause the ship to sink."

Erina and Speedwagon shared another glance. "Straizo. Go to the Canary Islands, and meet with Jonathan." Erina said. "I think you'll want to hear from him first. And be sure to listen with an open mind."

"...Did... you know Dio was alive?" he asked harshly. "Why haven't you contacted the other Ripple users?!"

Speedwagon frowned, standing up. "...You'll know once you see Jojo. But remember to keep an open mind. Speak with him first. Understand?"

Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Straizo sighed. "Fine. Obviously there will be no aid here."

Straizo wasn't sure why he distrusted the two of them so much, and so he quickly made to get an express trip to the Isles, so that he would reach the islands faster than any letters might. If there was something Erina and Speedwagon didn't want him to know, and if only Jojo could tell him, he didn't want to let him get away.

"I only have a few hours of sunlight." He said to himself as he got off the boat. Taking off with a Ripple-charged run, he sped through the town. Silently coming to a stop when he reached the street Erina's letters had been addressed to. He moved stealthily into the building, a small inn, and noted that the clerk was asleep at the desk. Going through the records, he found Jonathan's room number. Quietly making his way upstairs, he found the door and simply sent a wave of Ripple through it, forcing the lock to unlock. Opening it, he walked inside, alert and waiting.

Moving from room to room in the classy apartment, he found, to his irritation and suspicion, that there was nobody there.

Sitting down in the most comfortable chair in the place, he waited for darkness to fall. He wasn't sure why Speedwagon and Erina had refused to speak to him, or cautioned him that he needed to speak with Jonathan, and with an open mind. This meant that the two of them thought there would be something about Jonathan's position that Straizo would disagree with.

The door opened about four hours into the night, and Straizo breathed deeply. Standing up, his fists crackled with light as he looked the two men who entered in the eyes. "Dio." Straizo said savagely. "So you did live." His eyes slid to Dio's larger companion, and the surprise almost made him catch his breath, almost. "And... Jonathan Joestar."

"Straizo!" Jojo said, surprised. "What are you doing here, now, before you do anything hasty, let me explain the situation, I have Dio under control-"

Straizo watched, as, almost too quick for him to catch, Dio punched Jojo in the gut so hard his hand penetrated through his stomach and out his back. He then, in almost the same moment, turned on his foot and did a spin-kick to the back of Jojo's head, the impact snapping his neck and dropping the larger man to his knees. "Dio-" Jojo choked out in surprise.

"I'm truly sorry that our three months of brotherly companionship had to end so fast... This was the most carefree fun I've had since our college days, even if you've been imposing all these useless restrictions." He placed a hand on Jojo's shoulder, and smiled at him. "Thank you for letting me regain my strength, brother. But... we both have eternity, Jojo! I'll convince you of humanity's inferiority soon enough, and you'll come by my side to be the twin Vampire Lords of Earth. But for now... I've found that since my transformation, the most fun I've had is when you're my enemy."

Straizo took that moment to charge Dio, grabbing the chair behind him, he channeled a great amount of Ripple through it, making the chair glow bright yellow. Swinging the chair expertly, he caught the blonde vampire on the shoulder with the foot of the chair, but Dio merely pumped his legs and launched himself through the wall behind him, and then again to get outside. Swearing under his breath, he turned to Jojo.

Staring as his once comrade-in-battle's stomach closed easily, and as his broken neck pulled itself disturbingly into the right position with no visible pain on Jojo's face. "Damn him, he took out my neck so I couldn't breathe properly."

"Why the hell is Dio alive?!" Straizo growled. "How were you regenerating? That wasn't Ripple..." he accused. "You're one of Dio's zombies, now."

"...He used the Stone Mask on me." Jojo said quietly. "After he did so, however, I was much stronger than him. I've been forcing him to teach me how to control the vampiric impulses for the last three months."

"I'm sorry, Jonathan Joestar." Straizo said, before taking a breath and making his fist glow orange. "I will avenge you, you fought admirably on the side of light. Fret not, I will not allow you to rot in the darkness."

Jojo let out a measured breath, and caught the hand harmlessly. "I have not given into the darkness... and I certainly am not rotting! Sir Straizo, please, listen to me. I am in control of myself. I am not a monster. When this is all over, I will return to my wife in time for my child's birth, and I will hold them without danger to their survival!" He said harshly. "My proof is my Ripple! Now, then, if you desire more proof, I will give it to you later, now, it is both of our main concern that Dio Brando is once again on the rampage!"

"Fine. We'll deal with Dio first."

He had been in this town for three months now. Every day, the same useless humans walked by. He had noted every attractive woman and man, every potential useful zombie, every person who's blood would make for a satisfying meal. But every moment of every night had been spent under Jojo's watchful eyes. And no matter how many times he was tempted, Jojo had never allowed himself to slip up, and was even harsher on Dio.

But now, with a Ripple user occupying Jojo, it was time for him to sate every whim that he had to suppress over the last three months. Not caring in the slightest of the danger of being sighted, he smashed through one building after another. Every human of interest had been marked, and with Dio's own mind and memory, he had kept track where every single one of them spent their evenings. Shattering a window Dio found himself in the bedroom of two of his targets, the burly man who was awakened by the impact was already straddled by Dio. He barely had time to scream before Dio bent down and bit down on his neck. Drinking him dry in seconds, he turned to the man's wife, who had begun to scream, and did the same for her.

Giving it a moment's thought, he allowed a drop of his own blood to enter the bite wound on the man. The zombie near-instantly got back up, and seemed to regain the volume Dio had drained. "There's a man with long hair and a ridiculous scarf, accompanied by a large handsome man with blue eyes. I want you to kill both of them. Failing that, keep them off my trail."

His thirst momentarily sated, he focused his effort on making zombies. Vampiric essence was like a pathogen, almost, despite being a form of energy. It spread via liquids, consuming the same life essence that Ripple strengthened. Each zombie created by Dio's attacks would have their entire beings filled with Dio's essence. And everyone they attacked would be infected with Dio's essence as well.

In a sealed environment, like a ship, biting one person would lead to everyone on board becoming a Vampire in minutes. But with a town, things wouldn't be the same. The bite would spread slowly, but all the more insidiously. He had seen it in Windknight's Lot. His zombies prowled from home to home. Some families would run, of those, some would escape and some would be chased and would succumb, spreading his influence even more.

Dio Brando smiled savagely. He was a Vampire Lord once more. His body would soon be fully integrated, with the amounts of blood he was drinking. And from there... perhaps not even Jojo would stand a chance of stopping him, a Vampire with Ripple or no.

Victory, would belong to him, Dio!

But all the same. If he wanted his victory assured, he couldn't risk to challenge Jojo again so soon. When it came time to fight his brother again, everything would have to be perfect!

"Another time, Jojo!" He roared across the night, his voice loud enough it could be heard above the screams of those running from his zombies. "Another time, you will fight and face me! But not tonight! I, Dio, have won this night! This town you have protected for three months is doomed!" He shouted. And with that, he dropped from the roofs and ran for the port as quickly and silently as he could. He would sneak aboard a ship, and perhaps sail where ever the wind takes him.

He had escaped.

"Damn you Dio Brando!" Jojo roared himself, energizing his fists and wiping out another two zombies. Straizo fought alongside him, taking out zombie after zombie, or, in his preferred style, forcing zombies into groups where he could fry a half-dozen at once more efficiently. "He's turned almost the whole town!"

"We cannot allow him to get away, or this will happen over and over again!" Straizo hissed. "There are too few of us Ripple users and he is too powerful."

Stopping over a dead body, one of the dozens that haven't begun the process of becoming zombies themselves, Jojo had a cold thought. "Too few of us, hm?" He shot a vein quickly from his arm, and into the body. Within a moment, it got up and Jojo pulled the vein back into his arm, leaving no wound. "Attack the zombies!" he ordered, "And do not dare touch a living human!"

The zombie only nodded, and rushed out to tackle another walking corpse. Straizo stared in horror.

"Fight fire with fire, Straizo?" Jojo asked.

"...I am ridding this town of every undead thing." He said decisively. "That includes your zombies as well."

"Of course." Jojo said, looking at his own warrior with distaste. "This vampire power is cruel and disturbing. To force the dead to your will."

Throughout the night, the two fought. Eradicating zombie after zombie, flushing one house after another. But as the hours passed, and the sky changed, Jojo noticed with unease that light would come soon. "Straizo sir, unfortunately, I'm afraid I'll have to stop til nightfall comes again." He shouted to the other man. "It is our good fortune though that the same thing will happen to the zombies. They'll be much easier for you to kill yourself."

"Indeed. I can handle the rest of this town myself." He said. "I don't need your help for the rest of this process, Jonathan Joestar." jumping backwards, he landed close to where Jojo was standing. Casually unfurling his scarf, he flipped it in the air towards Jojo.

The larger man raised his eyebrow in slightly confusion, but soon realized what was happening and tried to run away.

But not fast enough. The scarf, with Ripple pulsing through it, hardened like steel, becoming a blade that Straizo forced into Jojo's chest. The impact of the Ripple left the wound burning with red energy. Screaming in pain, Jojo froze his flesh around the wound, not allowing Straizo's Ripple to do any more damage, or worse, spread through his body. "Straizo!" Jojo roared. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm disposing of a corpse." He said quietly. "I don't know why you've been fighting alongside me... but a vampire is a monster who can't control his impulses, correct?"

"I have! I've not killed a single person!" Jojo pleaded. "Please, Straizo, we don't have time for this foolishness!"

"...That youth, that power. The technique, all bestowed by a single mask." He said, almost reverently. "It's pure evil. And its influence must be rid from this world, that is the purpose of Ripple!" Reaching up and ripping out a number of strands of his own long black hair, he walked over to where Jojo was pinned to the ground. "I know you have a chance of killing me, if I get this close..." he took another step, holding the hairs in his hand. "But consider this a test, of my own abilities, and of your determination not to give into your vampire impulses. Tonight, I put Jonathan Joestar to rest!" the hairs, with a crackle of golden energy, became straightened like iron needles. Flinging them with all his strength, and with pinpoint accuracy, the Ripple-infused hairs jammed into Jojo's limbs, nailing them into the ground. To prevent the Ripple from doing further damage, he froze the flesh around each needle.

Growling, Jojo tried to push himself up, but found that the scarf was still standing, and still rigid as a blade and coated in Ripple. If he didn't want to open the wound any further, he would have to pull it out with his hands. But when he tried to move his arm, he found that all he could move was his fingers. At each joint in his arms, legs, and hips, the hair needles pinned him to the ground, and his own self-protective freezing locked his joints in place, effectively paralyzing the movement of his limbs.

"We will wait here like this..." Straizo said. "Until the sun comes up in twenty minutes."


	6. Chapter 6

"Straizo!" Jojo growled, "Fine!" Turning his eyes to the scarf, he hissed "Space Ripper Stingy Eyes!" The beam of pressurized fluid shredded through the scarf, cutting through several buildings also within Jojo's field of vision. Now that the largest source of Ripple, the scarf, was out of the picture, he unfroze his chest. Deciding to take the risk, he unfroze his arms and legs as well, only to begin screaming as the Ripple in the needle hairs began to burn at his flesh. Spinning in place, he dislodged the needles and struggled to get up, a bright red burning hole where each joint should be. He was heavily wounded, but it wasn't anything he wouldn't be able to heal from. It had only taken two nights to regrow his entire hand, and that was from pure sunlight. The insignificant amount of Ripple in only the hairs wouldn't match it.

All the same, he could barely move.

Straizo advanced on Jojo, pulling out a flask of water and splashing the ground at his feet. Taking a breath and letting it out, he stomped on the now-wet ground, making it crackle with Ripple energy. The stones of the road flew up as fast as bullets, taking even more chunks out of Jojo. "Please, Straizo, I don't want to fight you!" Jojo pleaded. "We're on the same side."

"And then you protected our greatest enemy." He replied coldly, swinging the flask and spreading more water over the road. Reacting before Straizo could attack again, Jojo dropped to the ground, freezing it with his touch.

"You can't channel Ripple through ice." He said, before turning and running.

Straizo swore under his breath and took off after him.

Jojo ran into the town at full speed. The wounds in his joints were already healing, and with every passing second he would only become faster. Deciding he was far enough from Straizo, he stopped and examined his surroundings. Sighing at would he would have to do, he grabbed a nearby zombie and bit into it. He could taste the power of Dio's own essence, and after a few moments overpowered it. The zombie was loyal to him now. Removing his outer clothes in a matter of moments, he dressed the zombie, and dove into the nearest building. "Run." He commanded. The zombie, revitalized with vampire power, took off at a speed similar to Jojo's when he had been wounded. Climbing further into the darkness, Jojo searched for a cellar.

Straizo chased down what he had thought was his target, smiling as the sun began to rise in the distance. Soon, the vampires and zombies would all be gone. As much as he was fascinated with the vampires, the weakness to sunlight was a major obstacle, an ultimate defense that the Ripple users could make full advantage of.

Years ago, when Straizo was first approached by his master Knopfler, or rather, when he approached his master, he had been searching for a method of keeping his youth. More than anything else, he feared getting old. Ripple preserved the body, making even ancient men like Tonpetty seem thirty years younger. When he saw Dio Brando, he found himself admiring the vampire's body. The power that turned a simple, if ambitious, man into a monster that could defeat Ripple fighters that Straizo thought indestructible and immortal, Zeppeli, and, to Straizo's regret, his partner Dire. He had been tempted at first, but seeing Jojo, a Ripple User who had become a vampire, and how desperate he was in the sunlight.

The admiration still held, and the temptation of youth was just as strong in Straizo as it had ever been. But this fear he was seeing in Jojo, this desperate attempt at survival, running from him with holes in his legs, trying to get away from the sunlight, it made him think twice. Straizo wanted to keep his youth, and with Ripple, he would. But he didn't want to fear the sun. With all the power a vampire possesses, how can you call a creature that evaporates if they leave shelter during the wrong half of the day. The half of the day that society flourished in.

Vampires were not living gods, as Dio set himself up to be, he could see now. Jojo, despite keeping his handsomeness, and perhaps having the addition of some powers that Ripple, ultimately, could triumph over, they were just like the zombies. Creatures with stronger bodies, who died in the light and had minds ruled by base impulses like anger and hunger.

It was at that moment, watching as the figure of Jonathan Joestar, half a mile ahead of him, began to scream in a voice nothing like Jonathan's, before collapsing to dust in the first few moments of sunrise. Through the town, hundreds more screams followed.

It was done.

Now he had to find Dio.

It wasn't a safe day for Jojo. Not that any 'day' would ever be safe for him again. The law enforcement that survived the massacre were busy, and troops from other towns and even some other islands, once they heard the news, approached and were scouring the town. With his enhanced hearing he heard fights throughout the town, as zombies and lesser vampires that had attempted to take shelter were driven out into the light, occasionally without harm, sometimes with serious casualties. A single lesser vampire was stronger than a dozen men, and could shrug off bullets. Zombies weren't as powerful to that degree, but could still easily overpower and kill any human that got into it's grip.

Every bone in his body urged him to help the police and townsfolk, but he decided it wasn't worth dying over. If Straizo couldn't kill Jojo, then there was a very good chance he wouldn't be able to beat Dio, either. Jojo needed to live, to beat down Dio, to return to Erina, to see Speedwagon again, to meet his yet-to-be born child. He contented himself that he and Straizo were able to at least kill most of the zombies and vampires during the night. Mercifully, for Jojo, at least, the officers soon learned that lassoing a zombie and dragging them into the sunlight was effective, or burning down or making large holes in the shelters were more effective than sending men to their deaths to drag out vampires.

This meant that when the police came to the building Jojo was in, he had to hide very carefully. It was late in the day, the sun high overhead, and the police had now begun to learn the tactics of the vampires. They patrolled the house cautiously, and soon enough they found and entered the cellar Jojo was in. The first one to enter the cellar waved around a torch, but it being a wine cellar, the reflections of the bottles made it too confusing to catch anything's shape in the light, and with all the shelves and barrels, there were too many places potential vampires could hide. Calling in a good number of the police, they began to comb the cellar.

Jojo was, frankly, a very, very large man. He couldn't hide in a barrel, and so he made do with being on the opposite side of a shelf of barrels as anyone who entered. It worked for a time, but with police officers occasionally catching a glimpse of him as he circled them, even in the darkness, even with his vampire speed, they were alert and suspicious.

It was almost an hour of moving very carefully, and, if anything else, it was a test of his vampire flexibility as he crawled and jumped and bent underneath the lines of sight of anyone who entered.

It was exhausting, mentally if not physically.

By the time the group left, Jojo was sure that it was past lunch time. Dio had had plenty of time to get off the island by now. He wondered if he would even be able to find his brother, after this. It was one thing in England, where Zeppeli had an information network, and with police everywhere, and his own wealth to flout around, if he needed it. But if Dio reached Spain, it might be impossible to find him. He could move too fast, and he was too charming. Dio Brando, once he reached the mainland, would be able to get anywhere.

Once the evening came he sent a telegram to England explaining what happened.

...I am going to pursue Dio as best I can. If I can find him before the time limit is up, I'll defeat him. No mercy this time, he's been given a hundredfold what he deserved. But if I can't find him, I will return to England to be with you. I won't give up hunting him, and I will see him gone from this world one way or another, but I won't leave you alone to spend my days going after shadows. If he is unfindable, he is unfindable. Please do not tell Straizo I survived his attack, if he comes to see you. With all my love, Jojo.

 _References: Straizo's dead master's name, Knopfler, comes from one of the member of the band "Dire Straits" which Straizo is named after._

 _(Sorry for the short update, finals week and all that)_


	7. Chapter 7

Straizo frowned as he killed another zombie, silencing it in only a moment. One town after another had been hit, the paths of destruction spreading across Europe like roots in the dirt. There was no doubt about it now, Dio had created multiple vampires. "Mario, two more escaped down that alley."

"Understood, Master Straizo." The young man shouted, running in the direction Straizo had pointed.

The boy had not taken the death of his father well, but he was holding up. And eager to learn the art of Ripple, and continue his family's legacy. A true Italian, by his own definition. Straizo tapped the ground, sending Ripple in every direction indiscriminately. There weren't many people left in the town, and those that were still alive wouldn't be harmed too badly. The only things that would feel the full burn would be- Straizo grinned slightly as the familiar hellish screams began to ring out as zombies dissolved to ash. "Master!" Screamed Mario, soon after.

Straizo rushed after him, only to stop short as he looked at the Lesser Vampire holding Mario's neck. "WRYYYY!" The vampire growled, showing her fangs. "Not one move, or the boy gets it."

Straizo narrowed his eyes and held still. "We're at an impasse." He said. "What now? The moment he stops breathing, you know, I will be there, faster than you can blink, and you'll be ashes. But I will not allow him to be killed." The vampire began to slowly step backward, but stopped when Straizo got into a fighting stance. "You running, while still holding him, is the same as saying you'll kill him. I know he will die if you get out of my range. You have no reason or ability to leave him alive."

"Master, forget about me-"

"Of course not." Straizo said harshly. "You are invaluable. I will need every Ripple User we can find, if we're going to be taking on Dio Brando. You are necessary to saving the world, this specific vampire's life, while a menace and a crime against humanity and nature, is not a threat at the scale of losing your help in defeating Dio."

"L-Lord Dio told me-" The vampire began.

"You are loyal to him?"

"Of course!" She growled. "He gave me this wonderful power!"

Straizo thought for a moment. "I want you to give Dio a message from me. Tell him that I put Jonathan Joestar's corpse to rest."

"Why would Dio care for some Jonathan Joestar?"

"He wouldn't even want to get revenge for his supposed brother?" Straizo asked, mocking surprise.

"...Perhaps Lord Dio would want to know..."

"Let go of the boy. And walk away. I will walk in the other direction." He began walking backwards, and picked up a stone, visibly charging it with Ripple. "I will throw this if you don't let go of the boy by the time I get onto the street." Walking backwards at a constant speed, he stared her down, waiting for her to let go of Mario. He stopped at the edge of the alley. "Last chance. Now. Start running."

Biting her lip, she let go of the young blond and dashed with vampire speed away. Mario took a deep breath, and shivered slightly. "She had her fingers... inside of my neck! I could feel her sapping my blood bit by bit..."

Straizo frowned. "Are you alright?"

"I... I should be fine. I think."

"Good."

"Are we going after her?"

"The root of the problem is Dio Brando." Straizo said. "And after the news that I killed his brother, he'll be coming to us. He's nearly impossible to find, on the run and creating vampire diversions like this one. This is the quickest way to get to our solution."

"Then, shouldn't we follow her anyway, so that she leads us to Dio?" Mario asked.

"We'd never be able to catch up enough to get all the way to wherever in Europe Dio is." He paused a second, watching the horizon, seeing a flash of a person jumping occasionally, getting smaller and smaller as she got farther away. "And it would be too late to catch her now, anyway."

"Krist. Would you repeat that?" Dio asked dangerously.

"...Th-The Ripple User... he said that he killed your brother."

"IMPOSSIBLE." Dio roared. "Impossible, impossible, impossible! Jonathan would never allow himself to be killed by some useless human!" the metal wine cup in his hand was nothing but mangled steel in a second. Throwing it to the side, it impacted the wall and got lodged in the stone. "NEVER! He's the best there is, the only other person in the world comparable to my power! The Ripple user is lying!"

"Of course, Lord Dio." She said, terrified. "I'll return to where he was, and I'll kill him!"

"Don't bother." He growled. "I remember that man from Windsknight Lot. He'd be too powerful for you to handle. Any lesser vampire. It would take a vampire born from the Stone Mask to beat him..." Dio began to look uncomfortable. "He was one of Jojo's comrades. Of course, Jojo wouldn't have killed him." His eyes widened in sick realization. "Oh God. Jojo might actually be sentimental enough... no... NO! I refuse."

"Lord Dio?" She asked hesitantly. He didn't seem to notice her, as he got up and began pacing.

"Jojo would sacrifice his life to save a friend's. And that Ripple user is powerful... enough that... Jojo would have a little trouble... If he refused to fight back." Dio punched a wall in rage, shattering the stone. "That sentimental fool! He might have actually done it!"

"Lord Dio, are you okay?"

"Confirm whether or not my brother Jonathan Joestar lives." Dio ordered. "Every vampire you come into contact with, tell them that is a priority. He was in the Canary Islands when he fought the Ripple user."

"Yes Lord Dio!" Dashing away into the darkness, she began repeating her orders to each of his lesser vampires and zombies.

"Jojo, you better not have died on me!" He hissed to no one.

Jojo got off of the ferry and walked into the Spanish town. His first goal was to find some kind of newspaper. If Dio was being as indiscriminate as he feared in his actions of transforming vampires, there would be some kind of report on it. Of towns suddenly acting murderous and strange and becoming monstrous for some reason, whether the writers blamed a new disease, the occult, or just insanity. It would have gotten attention, and he could follow those reports.

Finding people had never exactly been his strong suit, but he had to try all the same.

He found that there had been a spring of occurrences in the nearby area. The people in the Spanish town spoke nervously of the 'disease' that seemed to be spreading across Europe in a matter of says. The people weren't sure whether or not they fully believed the 'infected' people would turn to ash in sunlight, but all the same, few people were worry-free.

It was in that Spanish port town, after asking nearly every policeman and doctor about the 'mysterious outbreak', that he met his first opponent.

As Jojo was searching "You there! You're a vampire, aren't you?"

Turning towards the stranger who had just rounded the corner, Jojo frowned. "...And what if I am?"

The vampire grinned. "Have you heard about Dio's orders?"

"The newest ones?" Jojo asked, deciding to go along. "No, I haven't, sir."

"Sir?" The vampire laughed. "What, do you think I'm your senior? Lord Dio's not been so formal with us."

Jojo smiled, "Simply how I was raised, sir. There is no harm in being polite, until I have decided whether or not the person I'm calling sir has or hasn't earned it."

"The name's Harold May." He said, tipping his hat. "Lord Dio's recently ordered us all to search for his brother, a man calling himself Jonathan Joestar, nearly as powerful as Lord Dio himself."

"Jonathan Joestar?" Jojo asked, surprised. "What are we to do when we meet him?"

"Confirm whether he's alive."

Jojo had a sly thought. He was an honest man by nature, but he was also a clever one. He had deceived Straizo, that same act could be useful in attacking Dio while the monster wasn't prepared. Taking a sharp breath, he sighed. "Then I have unfortunate news for Lord Dio. I've come from the Canary Islands, as you can tell. A 'Jonathan Joestar' is listed among the missing by the police. The two Ripple users who attacked us killed nearly every vampire there. There's reason to believe this Jonathan Joestar would be dead."

"Lord Dio won't like that."

"No, I suppose not. If you lead the way, I'll report it to him myself."

The vampire narrowed its eyes slightly. "You don't know where Lord Dio is?"

"I was created by him in the Canary Islands. He ran away with only the order to cause chaos. I was actually hoping to track him down, now that nearly all of the vampires have been exterminated there."

"Is that so. Have you received any of his other orders, then?"

"Not since he left the Canary Islands." Jojo said, motioning for the other vampire to lead the way. May gave a nod and walked down the street. "Well, this town's already been hit once, but it won't hurt to go through it again."

"Hit once?"

May grinned evilly. "Lord Dio's been avoiding these 'Ripple' bastards you mentioned. By having us create zombies wherever we go, it throws them off Lord Dio's tail."

"...How clever."

"Whaddya say, mister tall?" He gestured to a woman in a fine dress waiting for a carriage. "Want to have some fun?"

"Not right now. I think getting this information to Dio Brando is more important."

"Aw, there's no rush. If the guy's dead, Dio's not gonna be happy to get the message-"

"So it would be best not to leave him endlessly worrying." Jojo said, a little harsher, grabbing onto May's shoulder with a powerful grip.

Narrowing his eyes, May shrugged off the grip. "I'm the one who knows where Dio is, you can't boss me around-"

"SIR." Jojo growled, putting his hand back where it was and putting on more and more pressure, making the sidewalk crack beneath the smaller man's feet. "Let's not keep Dio waiting."

"...Fine." He said, trying to look confident but sweating nervously. "Or... what if I just told you, and then we go on our own ways? I'll pass on the message about the Joestar to anyone I come across."

"That will be acceptable."

"He's found a nice little Uberwald in Transylvania, named Kamocsa."

"Kamocsa." Jojo repeated. "I see, thank you sir. You've been very helpful. Allow me to ask one question, do you still intend to attack the people of this town?"

"Well, of course."

"Then I'm afraid this is where you'll be put to rest." Pulling back his fist, he roared "Sunlight Yellow Overdrive!"

Jojo winced as his fist impacted the steel of a blade, cutting through his hand down to the wrist. However, the damage was negligible compared to the damage done to the vampire hand holding the blade. May reared back, howling and staring at his smoking hand. "What the hell?!" He cried.

"My apologies. I meant for it to be quick. A slightly different rhythm is needed when transmitting through solids like steel. You own fighting spirit prolongs your pain." Jojo said, getting back into stance to swing another punch, his bisected hand already almost completely healed.

"Why?! You're a vampire, you can't fool these senses! The Ripple... it should burn you worse than me!"

Jojo smiled slightly. "Perhaps, I know I've felt pain from using these techniques where I didn't before, but with the Ripple, I choose what I harm and what I pass through. I have decided to pass my Ripple harmlessly through my own body, and destructively into your own." He grinned, "Simple as that. Now then face your death with some dignity, May."

"NO!" May growled. Sticking the burn nub of his hand into his mouth, he bit down, spitting out the burnt stuff and swinging the limb spraying blood in Jojo's direction. "Red Special!" He called.

"What do you expect to accomplish with this, other than ruining my suit?"

"If you were a human, you'd start turning into a zombie, even faster than if I bit you. But there's a use to this how it is." He pointed at the larger man dramatically. "You said it yourself, as soon as the Ripple leaves your body, it becomes destructive, and Lord Dio's told us how to watch out for Ripple users. It passes through liquids, doesn't it?" He laughed. "It's like you're using a torch to attack me, and I've doused you in oil! Try using your Ripple! It'll travel through my blood on your body, and you'll fry yourself!"

Jojo smirked, and May watched in slight horror as the blood splattered onto Jojo froze in moments, becoming nothing more than a layer of off-color frost, "Ripple is no longer my only means of fighting." He reared his head back, intending to use the Space Ripper Stingy Eyes, but decided that was unnecessary. "Nor was it my first." Switching stances, he drove his fist into the face of the lesser vampire, knocking him a distance into the air, as he fell, Jojo's other fist slammed into him, knocking him to the pavement. "I was something of a boxer."

"Why, why the hell are you fighting me! You're a vampire too!"

"My name, sir, is Jonathan Joestar." He said. "My quarrel is with Dio Brando, but I cannot allow monsters like you to spread Dio's influence through Europe."

"You're the master's brother?!" Swearing, May pulled himself up, the damage beginning to heal. "Why are you fighting him!? And what do you mean, monsters like me?! You're a vampire yourself!"

"The difference between us, is that I remain a gentleman." He threw another hard punch, and then, giving up on his speech, simply went ahead and pummeled the lesser vampire.

Growling, May pushed himself off of Jojo with his legs, taking off running. Spotting a bar, he threw himself through the window. Before the patrons could react, he bit hard onto the open stump of his arm once more, releasing a spray of vampire blood onto the men. "Red Special!" He hissed. Jojo entered through the window seconds after him, and swore as he saw the men transform near-instantly into zombies.

"Sunlight Yellow Overdrive!" Jojo slammed the Ripple-coated hand onto the floor, sending the Ripple through the blood-sprinkled floor and into each of the freshly-made zombies, ending their brief existence as undead as quickly as they had begun. The Ripple spread through the bloody stream, all the way back to May. But all he did was smile evilly.

"You got me, Joestar." He said, before sticking his good hand into his mouth, and pulling it off easily as a bottlecap, releasing a sudden stream at Jojo. "But I got you too." He said, spitting out his own blood.

"Shit." Jojo said, as the blood sprayed him as soon as the Ripple began reducing May to ash, and the crackling energy followed the blood spray, each droplet crackling with Ripple as they impacted against him. Roaring in pain as his own Ripple burned at his skin, he quickly froze the outside of his body, preventing any more deadly vibration from getting through.

It wasn't deadly, it didn't even hamper him much. He had seen Dio split in half down the middle, and continue talking like nothing was wrong. He told himself he would recover soon, and picked himself up. Looking at the piles of ash covering the bar floor, he let out a sigh of disappointment, and reminded himself that tragedies like it were happening all over Europe, and would continue to happen for as as long as Dio made vampires.

He hid in the bar for another hour as he waited for the damage to regenerate completely. Harold May had taught him a valuable lesson. His own power was his greatest weakness, it seemed. He would have to remember to not fight on liquid surfaces where Ripple easily travels.

Once he decided he was sufficiently healed, he began searching the town for an adequate map. It was likely that any map found on the coast of Spain wouldn't list an obscure Transylvanian town, but it would perhaps list the best route to getting to Transyvania, and he would work from there.

Mario Zeppeli blasted another zombie into the floor with a Ripple-charged kick, as Straizo held his glowing hand above a lesser vampire threateningly. It began to swear in french as he lowered his hand closer and closer to its face. "Tell me where to find Dio Brando." Straizo ordered. "And I'll let you go."

"No!" It shouted, "Never will I betray the Lord Dio!"

"Do you have any wish to live?"

"Lord Dio gave me this miraculous form! He gave me this strength, and let's me run wild and kill anyone I want!"

"So you would die for him?"

"Of cou-" Straizo sighed, pushing his hand down and reducing it to ash.

"I wonder if it is a side-product of being bitten by a vampire that you become loyal to them? Or is it simply the out-of-control instincts of a vampire combined with Dio's own charisma?"

"Either way, we're not getting far in this." Mario said. "This marks just another branch that Dio's sent us on a wild goose chase on." The blonde sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he watched the moon fall in the distance. "At least it'll be daylight soon."

"I suppose." Straizo pulled out a map, looking at it under the light of the moon. "We'll head East after this. There's an entire branch we've not visited at all." He frowned. "Of that, we know he- or rather, him or his vampires, have hit over a hundred towns in that direction."

"Unfortunate." Zeppeli said, frowning. "This could take months, years if he's smart and stays on the run."

"Dio Brando is intelligent... but also recklessly cocky." Straizo furled up the map and began walking. "We've taken out the vampire, and in the daylight, the townspeople will be able to handle the zombies."

"Understood." Zeppeli said, the first few times they had left towns like that, he had objected, but the one time Straizo gave in, they had spent an entire day, and the townspeople were handling it well enough themselves. When the sunlight is falling everywhere, there's not much necessity for a Ripple user. "What about your plot with Dio's brother? Do you think they've told him by now?"

"I hope so. Unless he's gotten so far in just weeks that they can't reach him..."

Zeppeli nodded in agreement. "That would be a pain."

"Well there's nothing to it." Straizo said. "We must simply remain determined. Dio will fall, and then, we can come back and deal with any leftover zombies."

"Yes, Master."

 _References: The vampire Krist is named after the co-founder of the band Nirvana. The vampire Harold May is named after Brian May, the guitarist from Queen, his attack "Red Special" is named after Brian May's personal guitar, also called Red Special. The town Dio has conquered is named Kamocsa after the Romanian guitarist, from the band "Transylvania Phoenix"_

 _Also, a note on my terminology: lesser vampires are the people that those who were transformed by those who were turned by the mask, like Wang Chung or Vanilla Ice. Zombies are the monsters created from being bit by a lesser vampire or brought back to life from corpses. A zombie can be turned into a lesser vampire with the addition of more full vampire blood, like Tarkus and Bruford, who seemed to fully resurrect, instead of being shambling corpses._


	8. Chapter 8

The lesser vampires he came across on his journey were easily taken care of, but more and more often, they attacked in groups, and were experienced fighters on their own. Vampire strength was fearsome on its own, able to turn an old man into a powerful warrior, but combined with someone already in top condition, already skilled, it was terrifying.

More and more after the fights it was all Jojo could do to pick up the pieces of himself. His Ripple was still, as ever, his trump card, but as his opponents proved capable of dodging him, he relied on his own vampiric abilities, greater than their own, a gift of the Stone Mask rather than mere vampiric essence. The warriors who fought him found ways around Ripple, aiming for his lungs or throat, and, more than once, following May's example and discovering his Ripple was a threat to himself as well. But the techniques created by Dio still served him well, the high-pressure eye-beams, the freezing touch, his regeneration, and his own absolute control of his body. The lesser vampires occasionally created their own tricks, using the vampire abilities, but even then, they were Jojo's inferior in strength.

Spain had been filled to the brim with lesser vampires from all over Dio's search, looking for Jojo himself, none expecting a fight when they found him. As he left Spain and moved through France. He had heard, from others as well, that Paris was infested, but for now he chose to bypass the capitol. He would return, another day, or leave it to the capable hands of Straizo and any students he would find. After leaving France, there was a trek across Germany. From there, he would pass through Switzerland, and then enter Austria, and within it, Transylvania.

That was where he finally found evidence of Dio Brando.

The surrounding towns had gone through robberies and massacres; fine art, massive quantities of drink, and animals had been stolen from throughout the countryside. All the crimes were done by monstrous men, under the cover of nightfall, and all of them took prisoners. Sometimes, those prisoners would return, as monstrous thieves themselves, but more often than not, those taken were never found. And from there, the trails were almost painfully obvious.

He spent the day in a bed and breakfast in the town closest to the one Dio had set up camp, after spending the majority of the evening searching for one willing to service someone who spoke no Romanian and could only offer British pounds or Spanish pesetas, or the few French or German marks he had picked up in his travels.

It had taken three weeks to get there, but he felt it would soon end. If he could confront Dio, he knew that Dio would fight. After all this time Dio spent on his own, indulging in blood and raiding everywhere he passed through, Dio would be bored. He would be itching for a fight with a worthy opponent, Dio lived by proving himself in every way.

He might try to run after testing his skills, but Jojo refused to let him go this time. Dio had used merely a week head-start and crossed nearly the entirety of Europe. In fact, in that week Jojo spent in the Canary Islands preparing, he had already reached Kamocsa. It seemed nearly impossible, now that Jojo thought of it. Dio must not have stopped running even in the daylight.

Soon the light of the sun began sinking into the horizon, and he paid the kindly old matron. As he walked along the road, she tried to stop him, waving at him and shouting warnings in thick Romanian. He waved back to her, before taking off at a full-out run, moving so quickly to as almost disappear to any humans watching. Along the road, he could sense vampire sentries beginning to wake from their daylight slumber, crawling from their shelters to prepare for the nightly raids. Bypassing most of them, he silently and without ceremony reduced the ones he could not avoid to ash.

As he entered the town itself, he cursed as he saw the ransacked buildings and war-like roads. The entire town was a lost cause, three weeks of Dio had turned all it's members into zombies, vampires, or bloodless corpses.

Overcome with fury, he locked his eyes on the most prevalent object on the landscape, a large, ancient, stone castle, sitting on top of a hill on the other end of the town. Dio wouldn't settle for anything less, Jojo knew. Charging towards the castle, he let his scream ring out through the air. "DIO BRANDO!" Not bothering with the doors, or even with Ripple, he forced his foot into the stone wall, not stopping his march when he hit the wall, but instead walking along it vertically, straight up. One step after another, each sending cracks and hairlines along the stone bricks, deep footprints being left behind in the wall.

As he reached a balcony, he righted himself and observed his surroundings. A comfortable chair, and a small coffee table, had been set out. Dio had been there, recently. Perhaps he watched over his new kingdom from the balcony, sitting in his throne and drinking his whiskey.

Charging his fist with Ripple, he set his hand on the chair, and shredded it from the inside out. Doing the same for the table, he turned his eyes on the castle itself. Charging both fists, he beat the stone walls with all his strength, sending shockwaves of bright yellow energy vibrating from brick to brick, knocking some out of place, shattering others. Soon, the entire wall had crumbled, and Jojo walked into the castle itself. "DIO!" He shouted once more. "FACE ME!" Lighting his foot with Ripple, he gave a kick at the wall next to him, caving it in and taking out the room to his right. "I'LL TEAR APART THIS ENTIRE GOD FORSAKEN CASTLE, DIO BRANDO." He roared. "DON'T THINK I'LL SPARE YOU THIS TIME! FACE ME!"

Jojo's rampage took him deep within the castle, and soon a veritable army of zombies and vampires were fighting to defend their master. In a way, it was easier to destroy them in groups, rather than on their own. If left to their own devices, a vampire would try to get clever. They would think about what they were doing and were dangerous, fearsome foes, using their powers in creative and lethal unique ways. But together, the vampires merely relied on others taking the hits for them, and doing as much damage as they could as fast as they could, in a large group, vampires were little more than blood-sucking fast-healing apes.

Jojo used this. Sending out large waves of Ripple, attacks that would chain from enemy to enemy and burn dozens of undead at once. Those who had avoided his initial attacks he simply smushed into the walls, or froze and shattered them.

As he broke into the heart of the castle, he found a large room where various victims of Dio were chained to the walls, some dead, some simply unconscious. Jojo noted, with disgust, that some had been brutalized for reasons other than drinking blood. "You make me sick, Dio." He said simply. Staring at his adopted brother, who sat casually on the edge of his padded coffin.

"Such harsh words, Jojo." Dio said smugly. "I'm glad to know you weren't actually stupid enough to allow yourself to be killed by that Ripple user."

"Dio. You killed untold amounts of people, even now, vampires of your creation are out there murdering innocents!" He pointed at him dramatically. "You crossed the line when you killed my father! And you've only shown your evil is incurable when you devastated Windknights. Now, after you've gone so much further, there can be no forgiveness. No more second chances. I had thought, when you were helping me in the islands..." he looked hesitant, only for a moment. "...but you've proven that you're too stupid to accept it. Trying to redeem you, Dio, is useless."

"Useless?" Dio asked. "Indeed. It is. We have both transcended humanity, Jojo. There's no need to hold ourselves to human morality. Humans are food, simple as that."

"You've shown me yourself how to get more than enough blood without having to kill anyone. Farmers don't torture their animals before they slaughter them. You're evil, whether we're human or not. But..." His fists crackled with light. "...I think we're done talking, now."

"Are you sure, Jojo?" Dio asked seriously. "I won't kill you, you know. But don't expect me to hold back. I've never respected you for your brains, Jonathan. Even I'm not sure what will happen if a vampire's head is destroyed, and then healed. You might lose yourself, if I defeat you. I can live with that, personally. Can you?"

"I said." His arm shot out, extending as it went, smashing the wall behind the space where Dio had been a moment before. "We're done talking."

Dio grinned, grabbing his coffin and throwing it at Jojo as hard as he could, before sliding across the room and climbing up the wall. Jojo's arm healed, reverting back to its original length, and deflecting the coffin as it went. Running toward, and then up, the opposite wall, the two vampires met in the center of the rounded ceiling furiously exchanging blows. "Overdrive Barrage!" Ripple-infused punches landed against and shattered ice-coated flesh on one end, while freezing punches collided with, froze, and shattered flesh on the other end.

The two, both covered in ice and covered with shattered impacts where they had broken each other, fell from the ceiling, crashing into the ground and doing even more damage. Unfreezing themselves, despite the now-greivous wounds on both, they went back at it, regenerating as they fought, and being harmed the same.

In a moment where the two had stopped throwing punches, Jojo jumped forward. Grabbing Dio's arm with one hand, Jojo brought down his other hand in a sharp chop that removed it at the shoulder. Channeling Ripple through it, he tossed the arm back, the blood coming off it crackling with light. Dio hissed a deep "wrryy" as he jumped back, avoiding the deadly drops. The arm, having missed its target, was overwhelmed by the Ripple and burned to ash.

Realizing he was always at the disadvantage, he swore loudly and ran for the door. Jojo said nothing as he chased after his adopted brother, occasionally, Jojo would catch onto something, and he would charge it with Ripple and throw it like a bomb at Dio, as both ran incredibly fast through the halls of the castle. Dio burst into one of his rooms, and found what he was looking for. Grinning, he opened the bottle of whiskey and began drinking it, taking a casual stance as Jojo entered the room, still speeding. With a laugh, Dio's armless shoulder, which had long since stopped bleeding, ripped back open sending whip-like tendrils of vein and muscle fiber crashing through the large collection of drinks, crushing barrels, shattering bottles, and sending the spray of alcohol everywhere, covering the surfaces of everything. Including the two men in the room.

"Well, Jojo?" Dio said, grinning. "Are you going to use your Ripple, and send us both up in flames?"

Jojo however, only hesitated for a moment, reacting to the sudden smell of alcohol in the air and the liquid spraying his face. Before the veins could even retract back into Dio's body, Jojo's fists lit up bright yellow. "Sunlight Yellow Overdrive!" He announced. Dio's face transformed from a smug grin to a furious and confused expression. Immediately, at the speed of sound, the light from the fist, even without hitting anything, began to crackle along the alcohol covering Jonathan Joestar, burning wherever it touched vampiric flesh, within a moment, it had spread into the alcohol covering the floor, and everywhere. Dio himself only had time to take a breath before he too was covered with the Ripple.

Screaming, Dio jumped backwards, ripping desperately at the wall in front of him, using his still-burning limbs to try and claw away from the alcohol. But his arms were falling apart, crisping like paper touched by a candle flame, layer after layer, becoming brittle and dust-like, and only being more damaged by his panicked attempt to get away. Soon, however, the Ripple faded, leaving two scorched ash-like bodies, one lying against the opposite wall, the other standing in the center of the room. The standing body slowly, painfully opened his mouth. "I... told you... Dio... no... more words..." Letting out that breath, ash falling from the mouth, the body became still.

Minutes passed, and Krist entered the room, followed by dozens of other vampires. "L-Lord Dio?" She asked, hesitantly. "Hello?" She looked at the two bodies, and bit her lip.

"What do we do? Dio is dead!"

"He's not dead! We're vampires!" She shouted. "We're immortal! There's no sunlight in here!"

"The Ripple user got him!" Another growled. "We're no match for Ripple users! That other group's been extermination branch after branch, and now there's no Dio to make more of us!"

"Silence, Cobain!" She ordered. "I'm the most senior of Dio's vampires!" She shouted. "And I order- bring all the bloodbags from Dio's central chamber in here."

"All of them? There must be forty in there-"

"All. Of. Them." She growled, flexing her claws. "We will revive Lord Dio."

"...Which one is Lord Dio?" asked Cobain, glancing between the two bodies.

"It doesn't matter. The other is his brother." Krist said. "Lord Dio himself said he wouldn't harm him. He sent us searching all over Europe just to know if he was dead or not."

"What if they just start fighting again?" Cobain asked.

"The sun will start shining, eventually." Krist said. "And they'll either calm down, or Lord Dio will have to make the choice to kill Jonathan Joestar himself. But none of us can, or Lord Dio's wrath would fall upon all of us."

The vampires began bringing in the humans Dio had chained, and brutally put each one out of their misery, one by one, spilling massive amounts of blood, and easily drowning both ash-covered bodies. Eleven people had died before the two bodies began twitching, fifteen people before the vampires decided that it was enough for them to heal.

The lesser vampires watched, nervous, as the blood was eerily drained from the floor, sucked into the bodies of the two vampires born of the stone mask. The ashes were washed away in the blood, revealing skinless, heavily burned and torn-up bodies. Bit by bit, the two vampires were restored to their full selves, Dio growing back his arm, as well as the gouges and skin filling in and growing back. Even their hair grew back, with vigor, both gaining a massive main. Jojo's a blue-black, Dio's a pale gold.

Both of them snapped their eyes open at the same moment, and got back up. Jojo's face contorted with pure hatred as he put his hand to his chest, sensing all the blood, not belonging to him, that was flowing in his veins, giving him power, healing his wounds. Turning on the lesser vampires, his eyes flashed with the Space Ripper Stingy beam, bisecting the whole crowd. It wouldn't kill them, but it hurt. Turning back towards Dio, he narrowed his eyes.

Dio, from where he still sat, slumped against the wall, also pressed his hand against his chest, but in an attempt to calm the panicked beating of his heart. "You, you intended to destroy us both?! When you have so much to live for?!"

"No second chances, Dio." Jojo growled. "I told you." Taking in a deep breath, he extended one finger, glowing with Ripple. "But, I'm afraid I'll have to thank your Vampires for reviving me." With a twitch, the fingertip that was charged with yellow light was launched from Jojo's hand, flying as fast as a bullet and impacting Dio's heart. The fresh blood flowing in Jojo worked to quickly restore his finger.

Dio reacted quickly, catching the finger-tip bullet, and freezing his wrist, only losing his left hand to block what would have been a fatal attack. "Damn it Jojo!" Dio roared, climbing to his full height as his hand regenerated. "Why can't you just accept our superiority!"

"I merely reject your cruelty." Jojo said darkly. "Goodbye, Dio Brando." Flinging himself at Dio in a hard tackle, both vampires were launched through the wall into the next room, covered in rubble.

"Jonathan Joestar, you useless fool." Dio said in turn, pushing the larger man off of him and ripping a board out of the floor, swinging it, he cut straight through Jojo's body, and in the same moment, he kicked Jojo's lower half away from his bisected upper half. He dashed forward, to crush Jojo's head and possibly put an end to the conflict, only to see Jojo's legs flying at him, delivering a kick that turned his chin to ice upon impact. Knocked backward, he rolled into the wall. "Gah!" He growled, getting up, he quickly dusted himself off and glared at Jojo, who had put himself back together.

"One last push." Jojo said, almost to himself. Tackling the prone Dio, he used ice to freeze Dio as fast as he possibly could. In return, Dio fired his own Stingy eye beam, piercing Jojo's chest, and lungs.

"You won't be finishing me off!" Dio roared.

The larger brit narrowed his eyes, and pushed down, shattering a good amount of Dio's frozen body. Giving it a harsh kick, he knocked the torso over to the other end of the room. The kick itself had a freezing affect, freezing even more of the other vampire. "I wonder, Dio. Can you pull back the frozen shards of your limbs, the way I pulled back my unfrozen legs?"

"I..." He said, suddenly afraid. Heating his own blood, he desperately tried to resist Jojo's ice. But Jojo was patient, freezing Dio bit by bit, and as soon as a part became solid, he chipped it off quickly. Ultimately, if Dio had large amounts of blood, he would recover. So Jojo's goal would be to make sure he did not receive that blood, and to make sure the wounds were bad enough that Dio's own regeneration wouldn't be able to make up for it.

"You enjoyed your time as a head, did you not?" Jojo asked, suddenly, as he stabbed his own frozen hand into Dio's neck, freezing it up and down from where he penetrated Dio's body.

"Jojo, mercy!" Dio cried, but at the same moment perforating Jojo with more and more beams. The cuts were devastating, but to a mask-born vampire, still full of fresh blood, ultimately they were next-to-harmless. The holes were small, and could be refilled in seconds. The slices took more time, but they were fast, and small as well. Jojo's body put itself back together after each of Dio's blasts faster than Dio could take advantage of any of the injuries.

"I've repeated myself enough times." Jojo said. With a sharp hand movement, he separated the head from the torso. The head was slowly freezing, the ice spreading upwards from the neck, crawling upwards through his veins into his brain. "Scarlet Overdrive." He said, the crackling energy of the Ripple in is hand turning from a light gold to a bright blazing orange-red. Immediately, extreme heat washed over Dio's head, singing his skin and his hair. The head didn't have time to heal, before Jojo tossed it lightly in the air, and reared back to throw a punch. "Sendo Ripple Overdrive." He said quietly, before flinging his fist forward, in the hardest punch of his life to date.

His fist penetrated Dio's ice, and then fire, weakened skull, and out the other end. The Ripple energy surrounding it crackled with rage as it burned away whatever wasn't blown away by the punch itself.

"Goodbye, Dio Brando."

The ashes fell to the ground, and Jojo let out a long-held sigh of relief. He collapsed with spiritual exhaustion, and laid there on the floor, littered with the rubble of the destroyed wall, and ice shards from Dio's corpse.

Getting up, Jojo looked idly at Dio's torso. Frowning, he got back up, and smashed it to frozen bits along with every other chunk large enough.

Walking back to the destroyed, and then bloodied, alcohol storage room, he grabbed a mostly-intact barrel and returned to the other room, picking up shard after shard of shattered ice. Piling all the ones he could find into the barrel, he walked out into the halls of the castle, carrying the weight of a human in ice cubes.

Finding his way back to the destroyed balcony he entered the tower from, he set down the barrel, open and facing the sky. Sitting down on the rocks, he stared at the barrel carefully. He didn't know what a vampire could survive, after all. Being frozen, blasted to bits, and having his head destroyed utterly...

It seemed like it would be enough. But all the same, he refused to go through this again.

Everything went black as a blade passed silently through his head, taking out both eyes and his ears. Roaring with rage, he released a wide-area Ripple attack, passing it along through the stones, trying to fry whatever attacked him. Unable to hear or see, until he fully healed, he smelled the ashes of freshly-charred vampire. Within a few seconds, his eyes and ears recovered enough for him to have a look around. Nothing there but a massive pile of ash littering the boulders of rubble, covering a wide area behind him. The lesser vampires, who had attempted, and briefly succeeding, at having sneaked up on him.

He sat on a relatively clean boulder, and waited patiently for the sun to come up.

Hours passed, and he watched the sky diligently. Soon, pink began lighting up on the horizon. He waited until the heat was stinging his own skin before he turned his back on the barrel, left where the sunlight would hit it, and went back into the castle. He lingered in sight of it, until he saw water dribble from the cracks in it. The last of Dio's remains, beginning to melt.

He descended the castle, back to the room Dio had been keeping all the still-living people he had captured. He destroyed two or three lesser vampires on the way down, who had not gone to ambush him with the others. In the heart of the castle, he got to work destroying the chains holding people to the walls, and finding them some way to keep warm and protected. Most were still unconscious, but a few smiled, grateful, at him as he wrapped them in blankets and freed them from their bonds.

Krist rose from the ashes and rubble where she had been hiding, still as a stone, and stepped into the burning sunlight. Gripping the edge of the barrel, she forced herself back into the shade, but found that her body was already beginning to crumble. Dragging the barrel behind her, she walked into the castle, bits and pieces of ash flaking off uncontrollably. She dragged it all the way back to the room where Jojo and Dio had their last battle, and spilled the pieces on the floor. Nearly utterly falling apart, she reached over and grabbed a strange piece of ice, covered in still-living blood, that had been knocked to the wall by the impact of Jojo's punch before the Ripple could spread. The last surviving piece of Dio Brando's head. Dropping it into the pile of ice, she laughed maniacally, pulling a small bottle of whiskey from her belt, and lighting a match. Standing over Dio's ashes, she poured it over herself, and dribbled it onto the ice. Then, she placed the match on her head, and burst into flame.

It was more than her already-burning and crackling body could stand, and it collapsed, the glowing-red liquid of destroyed vampire, the ash, and the flaming whiskey fell onto the pile of ice.

The bits of flesh began to thaw.

 _References: Cobain, like Krist, is named after a member of the band Nirvana_


	9. Chapter 9

Straizo frowned, looking at the map. "None of this makes any sense any more." He said, somewhat irritated. "Before, each one would head away from each other, trying to spread their havoc as far as possible. Now it seems like they're trying to... hide." He frowned. "They never did, before. They considered spreading their influence more important than avoiding us. They ran when we actually were right in front of them, none of the vampires want to die... but they had something more important."

"Their loyalty to Dio Brando." Mario said smartly. "They had their orders."

Straizo frowned. "...Dio Brando is no longer giving them orders."

Mario frowned as well. "So... either he turned them all loose, to do as they want, or he's no longer able to give orders."

"Perhaps another Ripple User found him." Straizo said. "Or he just got himself trapped in the sunlight, somehow. Even if he did, however, we cannot afford not checking, and prompting him to another rampage across the world."

Mario nodded in agreement. "So, we find a vampire, and force them to tell us where Dio is... and if the vampire thinks he's dead, at least, he'll still tell us and we can check for ourselves."

A servant came to the door, holding a candle. Visitors at this hour were suspect, especially if- Her eyes widened, staring at the sight of her charge. One of the two boys she had spent a good portion of her life trying to keep out of trouble. And... ultimately failing. "Jonathan?!" She asked, surprised pleasantly. "It's about time, young master."

"I'm so sorry Miss Rigby." Jojo said, face warm with nostalgia. "How's Erina?" He asked quickly, handing her his coat and hat when she held her arms out for them.

"She's pregnant, very, very pregnant." Rigby said. "What do you expect?"

Jojo nodded, and followed her into the unfamiliar house. In the months he'd been gone, they had rebuilt the mansion. The furnishings and quite a bit of the family's heirlooms had been destroyed in the fire he tried to use to kill Dio. The new manor was smaller, more comfortable, and, he noted with appreciatively, most rooms didn't have any kind of window. A house... more or less safe for a vampire. He could see perfectly in the darkness, but Miss Rigby seemed confused, even with the candle.

"Honestly, no windows? Not even moonlight to walk by." Rigby murmured, "The lady will be quite overjoyed to see you, and your friend Mister Speedwagon."

"It's been so long." He said wistfully.

"Now then, Master Jonathan, I know it's been a bit since you've seen the lady, and you've been separated since your honeymoon night, so I know that you'll have... plans, for the evening, with her. But you must know that this is a late stage in the pregnancy, and you'll have to be very careful, so you'll have to control yourself."

He smiled. "I've spent the last few months learning how to control myself." The two pushed open a door, walking into the master bedroom, he felt a surge of nervousness as he looked at Erina, sleeping on the bed. She looked different to how she'd left. Her hair was different, and, of course, she was in the late stage of pregnancy. But there was just something about her- "Radiant." He whispered, and Rigby smiled.

"Lady Erina?" Rigby asked, bringing the candle closer to the bed.

"Yes, what is it Miss Rigby?" She asked slowly, rising a bit out of the bed and blinking in the candlelight.

"Erina." Jojo said quietly.

She seemed to freeze, before turning toward her husband, and she began to shake as tears rolled down her face. "Jojo." She said lovingly. Ripping away the covers, she nearly jumped to her feet, stumbling a little, but was caught harmlessly in her husband's arms. Wrapping her own arms around his neck, she breathed him in. "You smell different." She said quietly. "Never leave me so long again, you understand? Not for any reason."

"I promise, Erina." He said, holding her tighter. "I promise you."

Rigby silently excused herself, closing the door on the couple as they began to kiss. Walking down the halls, she came to the doorway of the manor's permanent guest. "Mister Speedwagon?" She said sharply, rapping her knuckles on the door. "Master Joestar has returned."

She took a step to the side, just avoiding Speedwagon flinging himself through the slammed-open door. "Jojo's here?!" He asked, excited. "Then he's finally done it!" Looking around, he began to get confused.

"Lady Erina." She said, and Speedwagon's eyes lit up.

"Ah... Then I'll just greet him in the morning."

"That might be the best. Wouldn't do to interrupt a tender moment."

Straizo and Mario entered the castle under cover of nightfall. The local police had, once they were sure it had been abandoned by the monstrous, diseased, bandits that had lived there, rushed in to do all they could. Priests had been brought in to sprinkle holy water, perform exorcisms, and listen to the tales of the survivors. Doctors called in to look at the bodies and care for the wounded.

The story they all seemed to tell was similar: The people were brought to the castle by monsters, and were stripped naked and chained to the walls. In that room, there was a single coffin, out of which, every night a handsome, devilish blonde man would rise, to drain prisoners of their blood, or if the fancy took him, to rape them, or unchain them, and have the zombies and other vampires have their way with them, leaving no remains. A man all the other monsters called their Lord. The vampire lord. Dio Brando.

People from all over Europe had been kidnapped to be sacrificed to the vampire, and it had gone on for weeks. But then, one night, a traveler entered the castle and fought Dio Brando, breaking through the walls of the castle in his struggle. The mysterious man's hands seemed to shine with light, and other times appear like ice. He could walk up walls and on the survivors described the fight as something miraculous. They thought their savior was a saint, coming to battle the vampire lord. Or better yet, an Angel, and Dio was the Devil himself.

Dio had called their savior "Jo-Jo"

The people's savior returned, after some time, and took all those who were alive out of the castle and into the town, where a kindly old innkeeper woman, now known as a hero as well throughout the town for her generosity, kept them warm and clothed until the people from the hospitals and police stations could come and look at them. Afterwards, and to the present, people came and went through the castle, trying to understand what had happened, and to give proper dues to the bodies they found.

Straizo and Mario took a look through the castle themselves, and, knowing more about vampires and Ripple than anyone else who came to investigate, they saw the signs.

"Jonathan Joestar killed Dio Brando." Straizo said, surprised and dark. "And every other vampire in this castle."

On a high balcony, and along a path to the center room where the vampire's victims had been held, was covered in ash. There was also a tunnel of destroyed rooms, also sprinkled with ash. Vampire remains, ones dispatched by Ripple. In the room where the damage had been worst, where they had been fighting the hardest, there had been a messed-up pile of ash, about enough for one person. But it had been scattered everywhere. There was a half-barrel, destroyed in another room, and a path that led to the balcony and back.

Jojo had killed Dio Brando with Ripple, and put his remains in the barrel, brought it to the sun, and... dragged it back.

He didn't truly know what to make of it. But there was no evidence that Dio lived. If anything, it seemed that the vampire had been deemed absolutely dead. Destroyed by Ripple; the ashes on the floor, and left in the sun; the barrel.

But he still needed to know more.

Erina held George the second in her arms, as she waited for their guests. Jojo was sitting in a comfortable chair next to her own, smiling at his son, but tense all the same. The only apparent sign that they were expecting trouble was that Speedwagon was standing, holding a sledgehammer in his hands, an older bowler hat on his head rather than Zeppeli's diamond-patterned top hat, which held a place of honor on top of the fireplace. The governess was with Lisa Lisa in the children's room, and the servant who went to answer the door was leading them up to the main living hall.

"Hello, Vampire." Straizo greeted, sneering. "How did you manage to survive the sunlight in the Canary Islands? I saw you burn. I heard your screams."

Mario Zeppeli followed in soon after, and immediately his eyes focused in on the top hat. "That's-" He began, rushing for it.

Speedwagon was there first. "The belonging of a man who saved me and Jojo's life." He said. Looking Mario in the eyes, his own widened. "My God, you look just like him, but younger."

Jojo stood up, surprised as well. "Are you... the son of William A. Zeppeli?" He asked.

"I am. Mario Zeppeli." He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "So, my father saved your live?"

Jojo took a deep bow, "My family owes everything to the Zeppeli Family!" He said genuinely, eyes welling with emotion. "If there's anything you ever need-"

"I don't hold a debt with a vampire." He said with a small snarl. Grabbing the top hat, he flipped it onto his own head.

"I'm not." Speedwagon said. "And I owe you just as much."

Erina got up, smiling. "The Joestar Family, living and... not, owes your family quite a bit. Please don't reject that."

Straizo was quiet through the whole exchange. "You still haven't answered me, Joestar."

"...I threw my jacket onto a zombie." He said simply.

Straizo blinked. "What." Suddenly furious, his hands shined with Ripple, Erina held George closer and stepped carefully behind Jojo simultaneously as Speedwagon stood in front.

Mario frowned, getting into a fighting stance himself. "Master... are you sure?"

"The man in front of us, is just as powerful as Dio Brando."

"More." Erina said, with a bit of pride.

"He... is the most dangerous living thing in the world, and he has the ability to undo our weeks of work. And he's calmer, less prideful, than Dio Brando was. If he wanted to take over the world... he could."

"I killed Dio Brando." Jojo said, "I put him down, and I saved all that I could of his victims. I had not been trained to heal others by Zeppeli, but I did what I could."

"I can't allow you to leave alive." Straizo said. "As long as you exist, the world is in danger."

"All I can do, is promise I have no ambitions. I've been drinking the blood of cows alone for weeks." Jojo said. "I can hold my son! I can make love to my wife! I can embrace my best friend! I can control myself!" Mario looked at George II, held protectively by Erina. "I will not allow you to take away my second chance to stay with my family!"

With those words, Mario's Ripple faded. "Come on, Master Straizo." He said, as he turned to walk away. "I apologize for bursting in uninvited." He said quickly, and left.

Straizo's fury covered his entire face, as he kept his eyes focused dead on Jojo. "Mario!" He shouted, his gaze never leaving Jojo. "Come back here! I need your help! To fight him alone would be suicide!"

"Go, Straizo." Jojo said. "No one here wants to fight."

Curling his lips in anger, he dropped his hands. "...You're dangerous, Jojo. I hope you know that. One step out of line- if just one person is found murdered and drained of blood... I'll come back here, and I'll destroy you. Without Mario, if I have to." With that, he turned and began to walk away.

"Straizo." He said. "In a few years, come back. I want my children to learn Ripple themselves."

Straizo raised one sharp eyebrow in question.

"I want them to be able to protect themselves." He said simply. "From Dio's vengeful vampires, to threats as simple as disease, injury, or muggers." He took a quiet breath. "Or, if my will is shattered somehow, me."

"...I will never turn down a potential student. Ripples must spread."

Jojo smiled.

The corpses that had been too mutilated to identify within the castle were buried in graves that were unmarked but with the year of their death, and brief prayers etched into the stone on the word of priests.

One corpse, a mess of an almost-skeleton, without skin, with only a little muscle, and no organs, was buried in one of these nameless graves.

And there it remained, for years.

Eleven years, in fact. Until it, still skinless, muscles still weak, but at the same time inhumanly strong, shattered the coffin it had been locked inside and crawled its way out of the dirt. That night, dozens in the town vanished utterly, nothing found of them but their clothes, deep in the forest.

A legend, merely one among many, in the area where the monstrous men and vampires and saints walked eleven years ago, began. One telling of a skinless creature that hid in the woods, and consumed anyone who entered.

A mindless beast, shambling from place to place, who's greatest act of ingenuity was seeing the light in the horizon, and returning to the shade of the woods.

 _References: The governess working for the Joestar family is named after the Beatles song "Eleanor Rigby", just as Jojo himself, and thus the Joestar name, is a reference to the lyrics of the Beatles song "Get Back"_

 _This story was originally posted by me on my Archive of Our Own account, under the name "JeckParadox" in late 2015._


End file.
